A number of containers have been developed for holding and dispensing carbonated beverages and other liquids, pastes and powders under pressure. Perhaps the most common are carbonated beverage bottles and cans as well as aerosol spray cans. One problem with conventional carbonated beverage bottles and cans is that after the container is opened the pressurized gas escapes causing the beverage to go "flat". Consequently, any carbonated beverage will lose its carbonation if left to stand after the container has been opened. Some bottles are factory refillable. Other bottles and cans are disposable.
The costs of the container, particularly disposable containers, are added to the purchase price of the product. Additionally, the user normally pays a bottle deposit on refillable bottles. Many states also require deposits or fees be paid on disposable containers to discourage littering. Customers then return bottles and cases where the containers have the additional cost of recycling. Many single use disposable beverage containers create major environmental problems of litter, or non-biodegradeable, solid, landfill waste.
There are, of course, large, pressurized containers which have been used for soft drink dispensing machines. These containers have large removable caps or lids for filling rather than filling through a single pressure tight valve. Also, gas pressure in conventional carbonated beverage dispensing machine cans or bottles is supplied through a second can valve from an external source of carbon dioxide. One valve is used for filling the container and the second is used for dispensing the product. These systems are not practical for home use, particularly in conjunction with a household refrigerator.
There is a need for a home beverage dispensing system having a refillable bottle which can be used for pressurized fluids such as carbonated beverages and which will allow the beverage to hold its carbonation after some of the product has been removed from the bottle. There is a need for a reuseable pressurized bottle or can which is refillable at a retail outlet. Use of this type of bottle provides lower manufacturing and production costs, lower packaging costs, requires minimal store shelf space and offers savings resulting from bulk storage, handling, transport and retailing of the products held by the refillable, pressurized bottle or can. Such a container eliminates environmental problems of container deposits, returns, recycling, litter, and solid, landfill waste.
There is also a need for a refillable bottle whose contents are under sufficient pressure so that when a tube is connected to the bottle, the contents of the bottle will be discharged through the tube to a remote location without injecting a propellant into the bottle.
Furthermore, there is a need for a fluid dispensing system which includes a pressurized fluid container carrying a self-contained gas pack from which a discharge tube runs to a dispensing valve on the exterior of a door. Such a system should be adaptable to a household refrigerator.
There is also a need for a refillable, pressurized bottle or can which utilizes but a single valve (unlike two valve carbonated beverage and beverage syrup dispensing system cans) through which filling, pressurizing and dispensing of fluid contents can take place. This both reduces costs and makes possible automatic filling and refilling machines which can fill the bottle or can without disassembling and reassembling the unit.